


Pomegranate Seeds

by PeopleDoCrazyThings



Series: Stories About Love or Death [1]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Fluff, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hades and Persephone, I just really love hades and persephone okay?, badass couples, her mum is awful for a bit, idk man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 22:44:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12198891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeopleDoCrazyThings/pseuds/PeopleDoCrazyThings
Summary: This is the tale of pomegranate seeds, of flowers, of jewels, of death, of love, of escape, of a mother hell bent on revenge, of rebellion, of friendship,  of freedom, of narcissus, of life.This is the tale of Hades and Persephone.





	1. Part 1: Flowers

#  Part 1: Flowers

_ They will tell you of the doe-eyed maiden of spring _ _  
_ _ And of a king who stole me helpless from my sunshine garden. _

 

* * *

**i.** It is morning. I walk in the cool, crisp light, making my way down to my flowers. My feet know the way, they walk on their own, and I spend the time singing softly to each plant I pass.    
\- I think I was born loving flowers. There has never been a moment where I have not loved them, their sweet fragrances, the bright colours, the subtle song they sing with the earth. My mother taught me how to hear the song, but I taught myself how to join in.

My thoughts turn to my mother, and my fists clench slightly. I love her, of course, how could I not? But sometimes I wonder...what life must be like off our island…

No. I shake my head softly, and my lilting melody starts up again. I cannot let my thoughts drift; they tend to get waylaid and tumble into a dark void.

I arrive in the meadow. My favourite place to be. No-one disturbs me here, not the servants, not my mother. There is no-one else really on this island- no man can set foot here.

Mother warns me against them, tells me of their wickedness, and for all I understand...sometimes the wickedness calls me.

But these are bad things to want, I shake them off, nestle among the flowers. They caress me softly, whisper in my ears. I can never understand their words, but I love them nonetheless. I dig my fingers into the soil, still singing wordlessly, as I do so the flowers straighten and brighten in colour. My godly powers are nothing special, but I like helping my flowers when I can.    
The sun begins it’s lazy ascension into the sky, my flowers follow it with their faces, but I roll into the shade, my fair skin burns far too easily for a goddess of the earth. The Maiden of Spring,  _ Kore _ . The silly name I was gifted by my mother as if I could be forced into playing the part as if a title would suddenly make me the perfect doll she wanted me to be.

If anything it made me more

...whatever I was…

not rebellious, but certainly not rule-abiding

\- least not enough for my mother.

 

But for someone who had not met me, I admit the name would seem fitting; a pretty wisp of a thing, flowers in my hair, long soft dresses, singing in meadows of flowers. But then again the likelihood of someone meeting me who I didn’t already know...slim, as nonexistent as my chances of getting off this forsaken island…

My mother’s calling interrupts my thoughts- for a moment I am not sure if it is imagined or not. Often her voice flickers into my head to warn me off of things- an unsung memory.

But I can see her silhouette on top of the hill I had just walked down. A shadow, cast against the backdrop of the sky, I know her well enough to read her mood even this far away- today is going to be a bad day.

 

**Ψ**

 

 **ii.** In the open balcony that stretches off our lavish abode, I sit as patiently as I am able, my mother braiding my hair, softly, always so softly. Eirene, one of our hand-maids, sits at our feet, holding up a basket of flowers. Mother threads them through my hair. This is our usual game; she fusses over my appearance, and I fuss over whether or not she will tell me what is wrong. She tells me stories of the other gods, and I keep silent, letting her words paint a picture of chaos and cruelty-

Meant to frighten me perhaps.

She pauses suddenly, stopping halfway through the story of their defeat of the Titans. I twist to face her, now is the time for questions.

“Mama? What is wrong?”

She smiles softly,

“Nothing my flower- only-”

I have known her my whole life, and have never seen her as nervous as she is now.

“Mama.” I rest a hand on her knee, and she covers it with her own calloused hand- hard work from helping with harvests something I could never be allowed to do.

“Zeus has called a council of the gods,” she says finally, each word like a thorn in her tongue, “as is his custom every winter solstice.”

I nod slowly; Mother leaves for these every year- why is this one any different?

“He has asked for you to be there this time.”

The words shock me to my core, but not in the way my mother expects; I am excited- anticipation curls in my belly for the first time in millennia. My widening eyes tell her that I am afraid- she is wrong.

“Oh my poor Kore” she cries, wrapping herself around me, I want to scream  _ I am not so breakable, mother! _ But I settle for a soft smile as I pull back.

“Mama, I am not scared to meet everyone,” I promise her, this is somehow the wrong thing to say as her eyes turn to dusk. The flowers in the basket wither, and Eirene makes her quick departure- smart, I am almost jealous. When her hands start to shake, I grasp them between my own.

“Mama?” She starts at my voice, a sad smile on her face.

“You are so brave my flower” she whispers, “so brave.” But it is not bravery that keeps me silent.

 

**Ψ**

 

**iii.** We arrive at Olympus 3 days later. The air is warmer here, full of life. My mother ushers me in through a side door and straight to our rooms. Eirene appears there moments later- ever the faithful maid. I pull from her tight grip to stare at the beauty around us. Nature has always been beautiful, but there is something about seeing it in a new place that makes it uniquely so.

“Mama, these flowers…” I trail off, no words to describe them with. They burst in purple and yellow and white, I lean forward to greet them, but mother holds me back. Hissing something I do not hear, probably a warning about the dangers of touching things I do not know-

-But I do know these flowers, they sing to me, they call me, they know me by name.

Not the name She calls me, the name I call myself.

Mother drags me inside; fury etched in those endlessly green eyes. Not at me, never at me. She tells me  _ she loves me but- _

I am too curious. Too foolish. Too naive. Too troublesome.

I have heard these words enough to have them memorised.

As she lectures me on the wicked ways of the world, I change into a new dress- palest pink with gold trimmings. Pretty.

Her eyes roam over me; I meet her approval just as the summons come. With no further valid excuses to prevent me, I leave towards the council room. My mother at my heels.

 

**Ψ**

 

 **iv.** The council meeting is dull. The 12 Olympians sit on their thrones and discuss what has been happening in the past six months. I stand at my mother's right hand, mostly out of sight. I may have been asked to make an appearance, but I am not allowed to speak. A little disappointing but Mother would never have allowed me to have an opinion anyhow, so I admire the throne room. Admire the occupants of the thrones. The first few hours I even listen attentively to their reports. 5 hours into it, however, I am bored out of my mind.

Apparently, I am not the only one, as the meeting is put on hold for festivities.

...This is even worse than the meeting.

Despite her protests the entire way here it seems mother enjoys being able to show me off. She drags me across the room introducing me to everyone, but not staying long enough for me to actually say anything. She finally ceases her parading for a few moments to get refreshments, leaving me alone to breathe. Until Apollo flounces over. I sense him before I see him; the feeling of sunshine and the end of a particularly beautiful piece of music. He smiles indulgently at me.

“A pleasure to finally meet you” his voice melodic but his eyes mischievous.

“Likewise” I murmur, he leans against a pillar, openly assessing me. I inwardly bristle, longing to bite back or at least glare at him but instead I stare at the ground. 

“You should meet my sister,” he says finally, his eyes a little less bright. “She could help you with your..” he trails off, wordlessly gesturing to me, I bite the inside of my mouth. He nods “Yes, that.”

I am still unsure to what he is speaking of, but as I open my mouth, he Mother appears suddenly next to me. Clearly upset. 

Apollo takes one look at her face and flees from our sight. Mother’s hand grips my upper arm and begins dragging me across the room. A smile plastered on her face as she leads me over to two goddesses whispering in a corner. Upon reaching them Artemis turns to us and smiles with her teeth, it’s a feral smile that contrasts the other woman- Athena’s - small smirk. They exchange pleasantries, and I smile along with them. My mother says her greetings then turns on Artemis. 

“You would do well to keep your twin in line” she snarls. The goddess stiffens.

“Pray tell, what exactly has he done?” She asks softly, but there is anger in her eyes at the accusation. 

“If I had not prevented him moments ago, he would have snatched up my Kore and-”

“ _ Mama!”  _ I hiss in shock. I realise my mistake too late- 

I have spoken out in public.

In front of witnesses.

I tense waiting for the blow, the pricking of nails, but she levels me with a cool glare and simply says

“Kore you know nothing of men, of gods, and I know what I saw.” She turns back to Artemis who is looking a mixture of confused and annoyed. 

“And what exactly did you see Demeter?” Athena asks, but Artemis, rolling her eyes interrupts.

“If Kore was there, then I’m sure she can tell us what happened. She has a mind and mouth of her own.”

I freeze, as does Mother. 

“He said that I should meet you,” I say, not daring to look away from Artemis and see Mother’s reaction, “He was being polite, friendly even.” Artemis nods her head.

“Well now that we have sorted out our non-existent issues, I’d like to clarify that while Apollo is my brother, I do not treat him as though I own him or control him, his actions are his own, and treats me with the self-same respect.” She turns and walks off. Athena tilts her head in slow consideration as Mother rages silently and I hold still, still bracing for impact. 

“Demeter, what you said about Athens and their harvests…” Athena begins, and Mother immediately smiles, happy to speak of these things. Out of the corner of my eye Artemis, standing with her brother now, motions for me to run. I slip away from the conversation, intending to join the twins but my eye is caught by the glowing sunset instead, and with a nod towards Artemis, I sneak away.

I slump against the balcony railing, breathing in the fresh air. Thankfully the corner I stand in is flanked by shadows that prevent me from being seen by Mother, or any other guests. I sigh again, more contently this time, taking in the gorgeous colours of the sky. The air is warm but for the briefest second a shiver runs down my back, I turn tensing-

“Beautiful, no?” a deep voice asks. I jump at the sound; a god stands before me. Hades. God of the underworld. He laughs, low and dark. Raises his hands placatingly, grimacing at my defensive stance, I relax and shrug lightly, 

“I prefer the stars.” A true statement. 

He blinks. I turn back to the sky, noting with satisfaction that several stars are making their way into the heavens. Hades stands to my left, he sighs deeply, eyes closing and his posture sags. I know the feeling well, I offer him a small smile

“Not enjoying yourself inside?” I ask quietly, eyes still on the sky. I feel his gaze flick over to me briefly

“Not particularly,” he murmurs, “I’m not...I don’t fit in here. I’m too used to the quiet.”

I nod, he continues, “The others don’t really like me anyhow, they’re so alike, and I’m so…” He shrugs,

“Distant” I offer, “like night and day.” He looks at me properly now.

“Yes. Distant.” I meet his stare, and we share a soft grin.

“You’re-” he falters, “I don’t want to call you Demeter’s daughter but-”

A pause

A decision

Who am I?

“Persephone,” I say softly, “My name is Persephone.” He repeats my name, and it sounds like a song on his lips.

“We are kindred spirits, you and I,” He says, the surest sounding statement he’s made. “Distant from the dramatic, loud world they live in.” I let the words sink in as I stare at the now star-filled sky. The stars seem to glimmer a little more than I remembered them doing the night before.

“Yes.” The word rushes out of me, a confession. “Yes, I’m- we’re- different. Unconventional.”

He laughs again, and it is a smooth, rich sound, but so quiet- not unlike the sky. I smile, a real smile, it’s small and unsure, Mother would hate it, but it’s the best one I can give.

His finger brushes mine, I shiver at the touch. It is gone a heartbeat later, but my heart, my  _ soul _ shakes at the recognition of his scars -the same as mine.

The air is still around us, and I know he feels it too.  It’s this moment, where I see him looking at me, not like he can fix me, no. But like he recognises the shadows dancing on my skin, the faint bruises and clenched fists and the ache inside my heart. And the world grows silent as though it’s giving this moment the weight it deserves, and it’s in the darkness that I realise we can change the universe.

I open my mouth to say...anything...something.

“I-”

“DAUGHTER”

I freeze again, in guilt this time, though half of me is unsure why. Hades glances from the shadow in the doorway to my face. His eyes- I almost gasp aloud- black as onyx, filled with quiet rage. He notices my shock, his hand lies flat on the rail, in it lies a single flower- same as the ones earlier today. I know them by name, know him.

Narcissus.

Hades.

I take the flower.

“Thank you.”

“Feel free to drop by the Underworld anytime,” he says, too quiet for anyone else to hear. His eyes flit to the flower clutched in my fingers. I smile again. Turn to my furious mother.

The moment I reach her side she pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. I whisper an apology to her.

“We will discuss it later,” she says grimly.

I am struck by the thought that I don’t know what I just apologised for.

She drags me out of the halls. I catch Hades’ eye one last time.

 

**Ψ**

 

 **v.** She almost pulls me all the way back to our island. I remind her I can walk on my own three-quarters of the way there. She huffs.

“Mama?” I ask softly, “I don’t understand why you are so upset?”

She wheels on me, but her fury dims slightly as she takes in my sweet, innocent face.

My face is a lie.

_Do not talk to men Kore, god or mortal; they are wicked._

I am wicked too now.

“Oh, my flower,” She croons, “I forget how young you are.”

I am ancient as you are. Eternal as you are.

“Men are wicked creatures my child, and the Lord of the Underworld is the wickedest of them all.”

No wonder we are so alike.

I nod my head though, slowly, as though I suddenly understand. She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. Soft, so soft. All her fiery rage melts away.

Then she sees the flower. Still tightly held in my hand.

“What. Is. That” she demands.

“A flower.”

“Give it to me. Now.” I cannot even begin to refuse her, she snaps her fingers and owns it. Her beady eyes glare at it. Then it is dead, dry and papery, she blows it to wind, and it crumbles into nothingness.

She smiles at me, takes my hand in hers and leads me home. My anger is not like hers. It does not burn quickly; it is slow, cold, all-consuming.

The following morning my mother informs me she has invited Artemis and Athena to our island. Once this would have delighted me. So I smile widely, thank her sweetly.  Then I walk to the meadow, and I wait for them.

Seething.        Blooming.

 

**Ψ**

 

**vi.** Mother brings them down to me; she laughs freely with them, her voice carries over the flowers, she says something about it being  _ high time we had guests, my Kore needs friends _ . Too late for that perhaps, but I try to appreciate the effort.

Artemis is clever.

Yes, of course, Athena is the wise one, knowledgeable to a fault. But it is Artemis who catches my glance as I try not to roll my eyes, who notices my sunny disposition flicker in and out.

“You act like a wolf.” she tells me, “A wolf that is surrounded by attackers and is preparing to bite.”

I pause. Tilt my head in confusion. She smiles at me “A wolf far away from her pack.” Athena slows to wait for us, and she says nothing else.

As we wander through the flowers, I see them.

Narcissus.

                 A heartbeat.

Athena and Artemis, both pause, taking in my face and what they see seems to confuse them. I need them to go, but I am not so rude as to demand they leave. 

“Mother says you two ladies are formidable trackers,” I say softly to them, “Goddess of the Hunt and Goddess of Strategy.” They now their heads in acknowledgement “Race me to the tree grove, food is waiting there.”

Lies, such wicked lies.

Athena smiles. Artemis crows. They run in separate directions. I veer left, towards the flowers.

It is a small patch, purple, yellow, white. They sing to me. As all flowers do. I stroke their petals sing back to them. When I hear my name being called, I pluck out a single flower and turn to head back.

A single flower

The rest collapse

                                Into the earth

Into the hole

And I fall too.

I fall, tumbling, arms scrabbling, legs pedalling

Down 

DOWN

_Down_

I cry for help, for anyone, anything.

And then I land.

Not all at once, onto a hard rock that would break me, but in bumps onto something warm, soft, but solid.

“Oof,” Something says. Then “When I said ‘drop by’ I did not mean it quite so literally.”

Hades. 


	2. Part 2: Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone, now in the underworld, has several decisions to make...

#  Part 2: Darkness

_T_ _hey_ _will tell you of a mother's love_

_ And of a wicked man’s desires _

* * *

 

  
i. Instinctively my eyes squeeze shut as I land. His laugh reverberates through the room and two hands settle on my shoulders.   
“You can open your eyes, Persephone” his amusement clear. Slowly, slowly I do so.   
I blink twice. In stories Mother used to tell me, the Underworld was a dark, decrepit place. But as my eyes adjust I have to disagree.   
Soft lights hang in the ceiling, marble pillars- darker than the ones on Olympus- stand in the corners of the room and walls lined with the same, separate the palace up. huge torches stand at the sides of the steps leading up to where we sit on the throne; it is made of dark wood and silver, a sharp, brutal design but still beautiful. With a yelp, I realise that I am still sitting on top of Hades. I scramble to my feet and kneel before him.  
“Forgive me, my lord, I did not mean to fall into your palace.”  
He chuckles again, and though it is the same laugh from only two nights ago it is somehow louder here.   
“No harm done,” he assures me, “and please stand, or sit if you prefer, but no bowing. I don’t care for formalities among friends.”  
My mind whirs, but I settle into a seated position at his feet. His mouth quirks.  
“Not like- ah I might as well join you.” Then he slides down to join me on the steps.   
We sit knee to knee, I open my mouth to ask how or why, but his eyes lift to my hair and with quiet amusement, he pulls something from it.  
A Narcissus.   
“You used my key then?” He asks.  
I shake my head, “My mother destroyed that flower the moment we left” I say sadly, his face tightens.   
“But then,” he motions to the hole I fell through that directs a spotlight onto us, “how?”  
I shake my head, just as confused. “I saw them growing. Narcissus. I wanted to see them again, so I plucked one and then-” I break off, “I don’t really understand it myself.”  
“Probably I should be fixing that hole” he murmurs, more to himself, then to me, “Unless you want to go back up through it?”   
“NO.” The word echoes around the room, we both sit in shocked silence at my outburst. “Not just yet,” I amend, “I...I would like to stay...If I may?”  
A lazy smile creeps onto his face, but his eyes are still dark, hollow, sad.   
“You can stay as long as you wish.” angry, cautious. “What does she do to you?” understanding.   
What does she do to me? My mother? She loves me, does she not?  
I say nothing. I am not sure what to say.   
Hades inclines his head, it says I can wait for the answer, come with me instead.   
I take his arm and he leads me through his dark, beautiful palace. 

**Ψ**

ii.His throne room is the darkest place here, its purpose to show a King of the Dead. But his home is for himself and his family he keeps speaking of.   
We wander through a room full of books, chairs and a large fireplace.  
“Where- who- are your family?” I ask, he pauses mid-explanation of the room, angles his head in confusion.   
“They- oh,” he sighs, “Thanatos! Show yourself”  
A man melts from the shadows and I smother a scream. He is at once beautiful and terrifying. Pale as a ghost with red eyes, wings that look like they may be made of shadows, and long flowing hair. He smiles widely at me and walks-no floats- towards us.  
“My king?” Hades pinches the bridge of his nose.  
“Your eyes Than, we’ve discussed this.” Thanatos blinks, then a dark cloth covers his eyes. He gives an apologetic shrug.   
“Persephone, this is Thanatos- quite annoying, my good friend. Thanatos, this is Persephone goddess of the earth and much better company.”  
I raise an eyebrow and Thanatos laughs.   
“Can you see with that on?” I ask softly, his smile widens.   
“Yes of course,” he says, because why on earth would a scrap of cloth stop the embodiment of death? “I can read minds with it off” he adds.   
My mind stutters.   
Hades whacks his arm.  
“Don’t lie to her,” he chides. My heart stops racing. “We’re leaving now, organise the others- family dinner tonight,” his arm curves around my shoulder to steer me away. Again the feeling of familiarity at the touch like calls to like.   
We walk off, Thanatos waves goodbye.

The door we walk to leads into what i can only assume is Hades bedroom. Though that may be too small a word for what it is. The large bed is made of smoke and velvet and looks like a dream. Dark wood- the same as his throne- climb up the four corners and curtains of the night sky drape over them. The ceiling is adorned with stars, a large tub made of obsidian crystal lies in the corner. Jewels are cemented throughout the wall, and with a wave of his hand a doorway forms that leads out to  
A garden.   
My feet take off without permission, I am flying towards the gardens. To be truthful it is not the kind of garden I am used to, filled more with Cypress, Poplar and fruit trees than bushes of flowers, but a garden nevertheless. I halt in the center. Amazingly, wonderfully, these plants too sing to me, and the song is the same and the song is changed. It is louder, softer, they sing to my soul and I sing with them. It is a haunting melody that leaves my arms cold but my heart warm. And there is Hades watching in the shadows, this will not do. There is a garden here, no-one should be merely watching. I dance towards him, take his hands in mine and pull him into a dance.   
The music swells in my ears, I hum along, dragging the King of the Underworld alongside me.

Hades, amongst many things, is not a good dancer. I try my best to lead him in a waltz but his feet refuse to obey the rhythm. Which is greatly amusing the first few times he trips over. He suggests we stick to swaying,  
“-If we really must dance at all,” he says, a whine in his voice that makes me laugh.   
“What is better than dancing in a garden?” I ask, still laughing as I twirl. He smirks.  
“Would you like to see your rooms?”  
“ _My_ rooms?” I gasp delightedly, as he pulls me away.

**Ψ**

  
iii.Hades is true to his word, somehow in my few hours of being in the underworld I have a series of 3 rooms just for myself: 

  * A bedroom, decorated with the same jewels as Hades’ but with more light- and doors that lead to the garden also. 
  * A bathroom with the largest bath I have ever seen in my life full of candles
  * And a room with a table, fireplace, and desk. 



_I_ _n_ _case you wish to eat or write by yourself. But you are most welcome to risk eating with us._  
I cannot remember anyone doing anything so nice, or being so thoughtful.   
“It’s perfect” I assure him, a wide smile breaks on his face and he moves to show me the finer details of the room.   
             It’s perfect. He’s perfect.

We walk arm in arm, speaking with the ease of lifelong friends, for the first time in a long time I feel light. We arrive in the dining room, Thanatos has draped himself over a chair and is talking animatedly to the rest of the table;

  1. A winged man who looks so similar to Thanatos they must be twins and is falling asleep
  2. 3 ladies; one young, one old, and one in the middle. The old one has scissors in her back pocket
  3. An old man with a bent back
  4. A nymph, who looks like she is made of smoke and ash. 



When we step into the room, they turn attentively towards us. Hades smirks as he introduces me   
_The Runaway Princess. Persephone._  
They welcome me and introduce themselves

  1. Hypnos, the embodiment of sleep, _yes I am Thanatos’_ better-looking _twin, thank you for noticing_
  2. Clotho, Atropos, Lachesis. The Moirae, The Fates. _Don’t worry, we don’t cut threads at the dinner table anymore_
  3. Charon, the ferryman of the dead. T _he mature brother of those two troublemakers_ ( _The boring one_ , Thanatos whispers loudly)
  4. Daiera. A nymph with a ‘troubled past’ She smiles at me _We’re going to be such good friends._



The food appears as we sit down, in the middle, no-one sits as the head of the table here. I push the food around my plate cautiously. I know so many rumours have been false, but-  
“You’re not hungry?” Hades looks at me, eyes narrowed, because I was the one who said _I’m starved let’s go to dinner_ without realising what I would have to eat, what it would mean.   
“It won’t trap you here,” Daiera says quietly, “we’ve sourced it from upstairs.”  
               Oh.   
Hades looks away, suddenly very interested in his table. Thanatos barks out a laugh that wakes Hypnos.   
“The moment you arrived Hades demanded we prepare everything and anything, just in case you wanted to stay.”  
I begin to see the appeal in staring at the table too.   
The silence is broken by Hypnos’ yawn, and the following laughs and groans. I am entranced at how they mesh together. It’s almost like a dance, a melody;

  
_Pass me those berries- Did you tell Than about that one guy?- Hyp! It was s- A secret I know, they found my journal!- You keep a journal?!- Do you want the wine?- Of_ course _I do, to the wine and journal question- Chronnie- Do not call me that- All in_ favour _of calling him Chronnie- My King!- Sorry Chronnie, rules are rules-_

  
I’m...It’s almost ashaming, but I realise that I am jealous of this, their easy friendship-family. Daiera catches my eye and gives me a knowing look.   
She leans over, whispers directly in my ear  
“It’s okay to want this”   
I blink at her, pretending to be unsure of what she’s talking about but the tightness in my chest eases a little.   
Charon, pouting turns to me beseechingly, “My Lady-”  
I jolt at the title, the fork in my hand dropping onto the plate. Everyone’s heads whip towards the source of the commotion. Charon looks embarrassed at my reaction  
“Oh, just- just Persephone is fine,” I manage to stammer out, he nods- still a little confused but Hades chuckles.  
“Unfortunately for you Chronnie, she’s not one for formalities either.” Charon huffs- at the nickname or Hades’ statement it is unclear- perhaps both. Hypnos however, smiles lazily and stretches  
“I’m so glad we don’t have to worry about that nonsense,” he sighs, “I can barely remember to stay awake, let alone what titles to address everyone with.”  
Clotho clucks her tongue and Atropos mimes whacking him around the head.   
“Don’t mind those three,” Lachesis says, “We females are the only useful creatures down here-oh _don’t_ ” She throws at a pouting Hades, “You know you wouldn’t survive without us.”  
Hades shrugs, grinning again, “I’ll admit it would be a little harder,”  
“A little?” Daeira exclaims, shaking her fist at him in mock fury. Hades dodges her attack and the table, myself included, dissolve into laughter.  
Once we have recovered there is a pleasant silence as we begin to finally eat. The food here is...for lack of the right words, good- _so good._   
Rich and warm and full of spices.

  
Hades pauses suddenly, a goblet of wine halfway to his lips, as he looks around the table in confusion.   
The rest of the table becomes eerily still. I tense, expecting the worst.  
“...Hecate couldn't make it again?” Hades asks softly.  
Thanatos and Hypnos share an uneasy look, Daeria stabs her fork into her meal viciously, The Moirae are still seemingly frozen though I do not think I am imagining the hissing coming from them.   
“She said she was busy,” Charon said, shrugging in a manner that suggested he is less upset than his tone conveys.   
Hades hums in displeasure but resumes his dinner.

I know of Hecate, Goddess of Magic. But I have never met her, and Mother certainly never told me she was close with the Lord of the Underworld.   
“You are...friends with Hecate then?” I ask uncertainly. Hades grimaces,  
“I wouldn’t say we’re friends,” he explains slowly, “more that we all have an understanding with her; she helps us with running things down here,” he clarifies, “but she’s not one to join in our group activities.”  
“Not even for meals?”  
“Socialising is not her...favourite pastime,” Hades mutters, causing Daeria and Thanatos to snort softly.   
“She just dislikes us,” Thanatos laughs, “If it weren’t for us she’d be hanging around constantly.  
“What are you implying Than?” Hades asks, eyes narrowing.  
“You know what he means,” Hypnos winks, “there’s two reasons why she sticks around here, and one of them is the handsome and very powerful king we serve.”  
Hades grumbles something we cannot catch and takes a bite of bread, a hint of red on the tips of his ears.  
The tightness in my chest swiftly returns, coiling. I swirl my goblet.  
“She sounds awful,” I decide, glaring at my wine. The others, minus Hades, laugh in various states of surprise and delight at this outburst.   
Clotho winks at me knowingly, the rest of the table smirking at the now heavily embarrassed Hades.   
“Well.” He says, pushing back from the table and standing, “I’ve had just about enough of you for the night-”  
They chorus out amused apologies, and I find myself joining in their amusement, even going so far as to grab his wrist and tug him back into his seat.   
He laughs fondly,  
“I really do need to go-” he protests weakly. His eyes flit to me, “and Persephone is quite likely exhausted from her, ah, trip.”  
I hit him playfully at the wording, but he is right, my eyes are much heavier than they were at the start of dinner.”  
“Well if Persephone needs to be excused,” Lachesis says sweetly, “she may of course.”  
“But we must speak with you Hades” Atropos continues,  
“Alone,” Clotho adds, side-eyeing the rest of the table.   
Daeria rolls her eyes and pulls me to my feet, “fine, I’ll take Persephone back to her room, so you four can discuss,” she wriggles her fingers, “evil plans.”   
We walk off, as the three brothers too make their way from the room. Daeira opens my door for me and we wish each other a good night’s rest. As I lay in my bed cocooned in warmth I realise that for the first time in my existence, I have friends.

**Ψ**

  
iv. I wake with the sun. Which is rather late for me I must admit. For a moment I am seized with a panic that I do not know how to get anywhere in the palace, but I glance out to the garden and am reminded that, at the very least, this links up to Hades room and I should be able to find him there.   
I am then panicked by my next thought; I have no clothes, of course, the dress I wore yesterday is still clean but having worn it all day and night…  
A fluttering knock sounds at my door and then Daeria walks in her arms laden with a sparkling, dark material.   
“I didn’t think you’d brought a spare dress,” she explains lowering herself onto my chaise, “So I brought some of my own for you to borrow until we can get some more for you.”

It appears she has brought her entire wardrobe, more dresses than I could count lie strewn about my room as she explains her favourite parts of each dress.   
There are no floral prints or light colours with golden trimmings, and I find this a relief. Those dresses I wore were never a reflection of my personality. But I am not so sure I am ready to wear straight black yet, I choose a deep purple that ties at the back of my neck with a neckline far more scandalous than Mother would have ever let me wear- half the reason I choose it.   
Daeria squeals in delight when I return with it on, and after spinning several times so we can admire it from all angles we walk to the sitting room where she tells me everyone is waiting for me.   
Unlike her slim fitting pants, my dress swishes on the floor and announces our presence. They stand as we enter, all grouped in a semi-circle in the middle of the room. Thanatos grins at us  
“Looking lovely in underworld colours Persephone,” he says, “Wouldn’t you agree Hades?”  
I smile softly. Hades blinks then sputters out “You very look- I mean,” he clears his voice, avoiding eye contact, “you look beautiful.”  
Daeria giggles and drags me into the circle.   
Hades straightens, tearing his gaze from us.   
“Now onto more dire matters,” he gives me an uncomfortable look, “Demeter.”  
I stiffen at my mother’s name, but wait for him to explain.  
“She’s set out a search party,” he sighs, “I didn’t tell anyone you were here because, well I was not sure if you wanted anyone to know.”  
“I didn’t, don’t,” I agree. Hades opens his mouth-  
“Well your mother is understandably worried about you Kore” an unfamiliar voices floats through the room, the tension in the room is palpable as a goddess shrouded in veils enters the room.

Hecate.

Daeria snarls quietly, pushing me behind her. Hecate laughs without humour  
“Very brave nymph, but I am afraid that it’s a bit late to bother hiding her now,” her eyes dance, “I’ve already seen her sweet little face.”  
Hades raises his hands, “Let’s not fight” he says softly.   
“Me? Fight? Oh don’t be foolish,” she coos, “I’m a peacemaker My Lord.” Thanatos grunts and she turns her stare on him, disdain dripping off her, “Perhaps if we were to talk about this in a more secluded area..?”   
Hades rolls his eyes, “This a group meeting Hecate.”  
She shrugs but her displeasure is apparent. She sits herself to my left and tugs at a strand of my hair- I have left it down today-  
“I must say Kore, you are far prettier than your mother, no wonder she hides you so.”  
Hades whips around to reprimand her, but I get there first, tugging back my hair, I say calmly,  
“It’s Persephone.”  
She smiles, “my mistake.”  
Hades clears his throat, “what news?”  
With a click of her fingers a scroll hovers in front of her and Hecate begins to read off it, a message written by my mother and sent around by Hermes. Begging for news of the location of her precious and most-beloved daughter.   
I scoff at the words. Hecate eyes me, “You don’t think you should return?”  
“She’s had me her whole life, I’m sure she can manage a week or two” I say sweetly. Her eyes narrow but she puts the scroll away.   
“You should know that no-one knows of you whereabouts outside of this room,” Hades says, “it is up to you whether it stays that way.”  
I consider for a few seconds, it is too likely that, if knowing my location, Mother would stop at nothing to drag me back. Perhaps it is selfish of me but I want to stay just a little longer. So I shake my head.  
“I’d prefer for it to be kept secret for the time being.” The others nod, but Hecate regards me as one would a silly child.   
“Do you have something to add?” I ask, she sighs  
“I think that you are being foolish-”  
“And I think that it’s rather amusing that those who know the least about someone tend to make the most judgements,” I interrupt, fixing Hecte with my glare “Can you manage to keep a secret Hecate? Or will that prove too much of a hardship for you?” I snap, her eyebrow raises unpleasantly  
“My, what a tongue,” she says cooly. Then stands and without so much as a backward glance leaves the room.   
There is a pause.  
Then The Moirae fall upon themselves cackling with laughter. Thanatos, Hypnos and Daeria join in, Charon even managing a light chuckle.  
But Hades and I glance uneasily at each other -if I have stepped too far out of line…

                                                                                                                            What will Hecate do?

**Ψ**

v. The rest of the week passes uneventfully, I spend my days learning the ins and out of the Underworld court, tending the garden, once we even venture out to meet Cerberus, Hades’ three-headed dog, and spending time with my new found friends. This often involves watching and then eventually joining them as they train with their weapons and powers.   
Thanatos even going so far as to gift me my own set a shadow daggers.  
“They sit at your waist mostly invisible until you wield them,” he tells me, then instructs me on how to do so correctly.  
I argue that I doubt I’ll have any need for them  
“Better safe than sorry, no?” He counters.

My love for the fashion of the underworld grows also, as a pack we set about designing a wardrobe to my taste, and as the days wear on I experiment with darker colours and different cuts. Secretly delighting in everyone’s reactions to my new outfits each day.

It is almost two weeks to the day I fell into the underworld when the news comes.

Daeria finds me first, playing with Cerberus. I laugh, dodging the drool. But my smile slips when I catch her expression, I send Cerberus bounding off to guard the gates again.   
“It’s Hecate,” Daeira says finally, and my fists clench, I had almost forgotten our interaction, “She’s- she wasn’t very happy about what you said.” she admits, “Hades tried to reason with her but she’s told your mother you’re down here.”  
I stand, fear rippling down me, “What is Mother going to do?” I ask  
“She’s saying I kidnapped you” Hades says, walking towards us. I whip my head around, anger already taking over my fear,  
“She what?”  
Hades’ face is blank even as his dark eyes search mine. “Your mother. She’s trying to convince the other gods that I took you against your will, then tricked you into staying.” His eyes flick down to the narcissus shaped locket around my neck; a gift from him a few days ago. “They seem to think I seek to force you into becoming my queen.” Hades meets my eyes, I wonder if he can see the cool burning rage I have within them.  
“Is that so?” I ask softly, as I rise and, with head held high, arms linked with both Hades and Daiera, I march us into my study.

For all mothers lessons it is here, under two weeks, that I really begin to find confidence in myself. And while she may frighten me, she will not be allowed to accuse my friends of such horrors.

The letter I pen is simple, to the point, but clear.

  
_Mother,_   
_This has been written of my own free will,_   
_I am far happier here than I have ever been on our island, my friends care for me greatly and I feel the same for them._   
_Which is the only reason I am writing to you; Hades did not kidnap me, nor trick me into staying. I chose to._   
_And if I ever decide to return to you that will be my choice as well. But until you stop perjuring my friends this way, I cannot return._   
_Your daughter,_   
_Persephone._

Thanatos delivers it when he goes to collect the dead.

Her answer comes in the form of the Messenger god Hermes.   
Hades and I are in the throne room- I am describing the look of flowers and he is weaving metallic versions of them into a new design for his throne. Hermes lands behind us, we both spin around.  
“Hermes,” Hades greets slowly. “Do you have a message for me?”  
“Demeter is on the warpath,” he says. “She demands her daughter’s return.”  
Hades steps back to admire his handiwork, not as pretty as I would have preferred, but functional.   
“As always, Persephone is a guest and can leave my realm whenever she wishes.”  
“Kore does not belong here,” he argues, “Let Demeter take her back.” I bristle at the words but stick to glaring at Hermes, and wondering why he cares so much about this, I doubt i’d like the answer.  
“She may stay as long as she likes,” Hades repeats.  
Hermes stares at us. His eyes are dark like Hades’ own, but so startlingly different in every other way. “You will regret standing against her,” he warns one final time before flying into the air and out of our realm.   
I rub the bridge of my nose. I can feel a headache coming on.  
“What does he mean by ‘on the warpath?’” I muse, Hades shrugs  
“Whatever it is I imagine we’re not going to like it.”

Thanatos is late to dinner. He arrives midway through looking more upset than I have ever known him to be.  
“She’s starving the humans.” He announces morosely. Our heads snap up.  
“Who?” I ask, but I fear I already know.  
“Demeter,” he confirms, “She killed all this year's harvests in retribution. She’s started a worldwide famine, she says she won’t stop until Persephone is returned to her side.The other gods are trying to reason with her, but some have taken her side on this matter.”  
All those humans who love us, who Mother helped harvest their food, she is murdering them and it is my fault. Tears pool in my eyes and I run from the room just as the first sob wracks my body.

I find myself in the garden. I drop to my knees and I cry and scream and beat the ground. Mourning the loss of the plants, of the people, of any love I had left for my mother.  
Hades finds me, sits next to me, waits until I am done and then takes my hand in his. Silent but comforting.

“My mother has kept me on an island my entire life” I say, Hades does not speak, but he watches me carefully, “Just me, her, and some nymphs. She would tell me stories of wicked people, make me hide in flowers if anyone came to visit, she would tell me off for speaking up, she made me into her pretty little daughter, left bruises on my arms, she called me Kore.” I take a deep breath, a tear slips out of my eye. “But it turns out that I am the wicked one, for letting her kill people while I hide here, for not being her perfect daughter...But I am not Kore, I try to be perfect, but I...I can’t. I’m not built for perfection..”  
Hades grip on my hands transfers, and suddenly I’m in a tight hug and it’s nothing like the hugs I am used to; Warm and gentle and real. And I feel some part of me latch onto to him, his hands run through my hair, removing every flower that was weaved into it this morning.   
“You owe her nothing.” He says, in a voice that could command the dead to rise. “Nothing. You are Persephone. You are allowed to leave her. You are allowed to walk away from people who hurt you. You are allowed to be angry, and selfish, and unforgiving. And if you cannot escape her up there, you come down here, you save yourself. She is the monster, not you.”  
  
I wipe my face as he speaks, calmer now.   
“When we split up the world between my brothers and I, they gave me the Underworld, said it matched my personality. Then, once I started carrying out my duties, they began telling everyone about how awful I was- am. I’m not invited to things, I’m shunned by those I grew up with, who I fought alongside. There are days when I don’t know where I belong.” He shudders, “The rage in my heart, the blood on my hands- I know that I don’t belong in the light anymore. So I learnt to love the dark.”  
My tears stop,   
I pull back slightly, assess him softly. Appreciating, not for the first time, how his eyes sparkle when he is not angry.   
“ But you also don’t belong in the dark.” He looks away, unsure. “That’s what I think anyway” I continue, pulling him close again. “because you are good and gentle, you help people when they fall, you created your own family. There is such light in you.”  
“You forget that if it were not for my reputation those mortals would still be happily harvesting instead of dying. I tried so hard to better than they think i am but..I am so lost and alone somedays- I don’t really know who I am;  
Am I made of darkness, of the people who raised me, of my family?  
Or am I simply a soldier, a cog in the machine, the death-giver?” He whispers.   
And my heart breaks for him.   
I cup his cheek. “Who are you?” I repeat softly,   
“You are a warrior whose scars scream the pain he’s been given. You are a lover whose laughter reveals his entire soul. You are the one person who saw me and accepted me before I accepted myself. You are the stars that shine even on the darkest of nights. You hold the echoes of ancients in your heart. To me, you are a hero.”

  
His eyes crinkle, and it is the best way he has ever worn them. I tug him down and we sit in the garden whispering truths about ourselves, spilling pieces of us onto the ground letting the other picks them up remake them. Forging a sword, a shield, a song out of the echoes we let break away from our souls. Somehow I realize that the voice in the back of my mind, that has been giving me hope, giving me faith all these years, sounds a lot like his, it sounds like the way he says my name and I say his the same way; as an absolution, as something almost like salvation, as a need that I can’t live without.

**Ψ**

vi. We wake up the next day, still in the garden. I take Hades hand and walk with him to the study, Daeria engulfs me in a hug the moment she sees me,  
“I was so worried you’d returned without saying goodbye,” she complains, then pulls back and notices, with a delighted smirk, our intertwined hands- but says nothing.   
The Moirae walk, as one, towards us. “We peered into Olympus, there is going to be a civil war if we cannot solve this” Lachesis warns.   
“A civil war?” Thanatos asks from his position on the couch.   
“They have begun picking sides; Demeter or Persephone and Hades. They have been...rather violent about their disagreements.” Clotho says.  
“Oh honestly,” I groan, banging my forehead on Hades’ arm. He pats my head.   
“Is there anything we can do to calm her?” Hades asks, just as annoyed.   
“About that…” Hypnos breaks in, looking more alert than seemingly possible. “Charon just let me know as he passed but, Demeter has gotten in. She’s coming.”

We sit, assembled in the throne room. Hades on his throne and I sit next to him on the newer, incomplete design. Thanatos at Hades’ side and Daeria at mine. The Moirae hover behind us. We make a formidable court.   
My pocket- a design I personally added to my dresses- bulges with a souvenir from my last minute visit to the garden, just in case Mother forcibly removes me.

She arrives like a storm.   
As formalities dictate she bows before the King in his realm. Then she stands straight, powerful.  
“Daughter, I have come to claim you.” She announces.  
“I am not here to be claimed.” I say. Just as strong. She glares at Hades, “You will find,” I say with a bite to my voice, “That Hades has in fact, not bewitched me, just ask your friend Hecate.”

The vague mist about my mother disappears and Hecate appears next to her, grimacing slightly. Mother frowns, unhappy to not have the upper hand no doubt, but she opens her mouth to start her well prepared speech. I beat her to it;

“I tried to be the daughter you wanted. I wore silk gowns and placed flowers in my hair. I swallowed my words until my body was made up all the things I could not say. I made myself smaller, quieter, less of myself. But nothing I did would quite the chaos in me. My need for rebellion, and then I met him. Hades sees the anger I carried in my heart, the power I carried in my bones and for the first time in my life I felt seen; for all I was. and all I wasn’t. So understand me well mother, when I say that I do this willingly, without hesitation.”  
Hades turns, confused and even as Mother watches on furiously she can see that he knows nothing of my plan.  
From my pocket I pull out a pomegranate; the first fruit those trees have ever sprouted. Mother’s eyes widen, but it is Hades I look to,   
Only if you wish, his eyes say I would never try to bind you down here.  
Of course, my smile says and I pull out my shadow dagger to carve open the fruit.

  * “NO!” She shrieks, running for me
  * I cut the fruit in half.
  * Tip it back.
  * Drink the seeds inside, greedily.
  * Mother stops halfway up the stairs.
  * Tears streaming down her face.
  * Pomegranate juice drips from my lips.  
and for the first time in my life, I feel divine.



Hades stands too, and I clutch onto him, he holds me to him as the lightning strikes, and Zeus makes an entrance.

He regards us;

  1. Goddess of Magic hiding in the corner
  2. Goddess of the earth collapsed on the stairs
  3. God of the underworld and Goddess of spring holding each other 
  4. As their court watches with barely concealed weapons and grins.



And he laughs.  
“You do know how create a scene Hades,” He says smiling as he walks to Mother. She stands as he reaches her, “And what do you have to say for yourself Demeter? This is so unlike you.”  
“My daughter-” she manages to gasp out.  
Zeus’ gaze finds me, “Ah yes, Persephone, the runaway goddess.” I incline my head. His eyes flick to the discarded pomegranate.  
“Ah.” he says, “You have eaten from the underworld, and so you must stay.”  
Mother turns to him beseechingly, “Please Zeus, surely…” He tilts his head assessing me.   
“Well...I am very powerful...I could break the curse...” He looks at me, and I shake my head, desperate  
No, I mouth. Please no. Beside me Hades too silently begs with his brother.   
“You can?” Mother crows, Zeus flinches at my glare, at my fear.   
“It is a possibility” he admits, not longer able to meet my despairing eyes. Mother clicks her fingers at me.  
“Come now daughter, enough of this nonsense.”  
Even Zeus grimaces at the command. “She ate half a pomegranate,” he declares suddenly, Mother whips her head back to him,  
“So?”  
“So, I can only remove half the curse; she will spend half the year above and the other half in the underworld.”  
Mother’s eyes darken but my heart soars. I sag against Hades in relief. He smiles back at me.   
“But when I am back in the mortal realm,” I add, half of me silently marvelling at how I am still able to form coherent sentences, “I want to be able to leave the island without you, I will be allowed to visit places and people without a chaperone. And I will be addressed as Persephone.”  
“Fine.” Mother spits out, “but I get the first six months.”  
“That seems fair” Zeus concedes. He waves his hands and it is done.

The next hour consists of saying goodbye. Daeira almost cries but I remind her that this means I can bring her back presents and she brightens considerably.  
Thanatos, Hypnos and Charon pull me into a group hug, promising to try visit when they can  
Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis gift me with a blessing  
And Finally Hades-  
I have to look for him, I find him in the garden looking at his fruit trees.

“Will you dance with me?” Hades asks.  
“I thought you couldn’t dance,” I say. The corners of my mouth turn up when he rolls his eyes fondly.

“Thank you for reminding me what a fool I made of myself,” he chuckles, “I was so nervous about making a good first impression that I couldn’t remember the steps” he admits.   
I take his hand and he spins me in a circle. My loud laugh dances with us.  
“I can’t possibly be that scary,” I say.   
“Not scary,” he agrees, “very pretty though, and my first guest...ever.”  
I laugh again, take a step back from him and twirl, my dress splaying out and gliding through the air with me and we dance.  
We dance until our lungs can no longer keep up. Twirling and gliding and curling around each other. There isn’t any music, only the songs of the fruit trees and our breath. But that music is louder than even our own heartbeats in our ears. Drowning out everything except each other. Laughing and smiling we dance and Hades gave his rare smile to me and for hours, we dance. Hours.

“Hades.”I say finally, “Hades, it’s time. I have to go.” He grips me harder, refusing to let go. But I stop dancing, and we walk, hands intwined to the edge of his palace. Where Mother and Hecate wait.   
Hecate waves her hands and smoke pours from the earth. A gate materialising in front of us, made of ash and vines, slivers of sunlight shining through as it opens. Mother grasps my hand pulling me through.  
I look at Hades one last time.

“Goodbye, I’ll see you soon” He promises.   
“Soon,” I mouth back at him, my voice hidden by the smoke.   
And then I am out of the Underworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that people seem to be liking this ?   
> I was really nervous about publishing, but hope you enjoyed part 2! Part 3 (the last part) will be up this time next week if everything goes to plan :)


	3. Part 3: Constellations

#  **Part 3: Constellations**

_ They will tell you of a maiden tricked   
Not of the Queen who laughed as she swallowed the pomegranate seeds whole. _

* * *

 

 

i.  It is morning. The 180th morning since I have left the Underworld. I have spent my days befriending the other gods, those who tried to help me in ways they could. 

I apologise to Athena and Artemis for abandoning them in the meadows, but they wave me off with smiles

Zeus and Poseidon come to me to learn of their brother

Apollo teaches me how to play instruments and Artemis steals me away to practice sword fighting

I sit with Hestia and Hephaestus and hear their stories, I know the power of being given a voice

Aphrodite, Ares, Hera, Hermes, and Mother exist within the peripherals of my vision, but I never stop to say hello. I have learnt that there are some who are not worth my time, and I do not owe them anything. 

There is one day before I can return to my home. 

I have almost gone insane in those past days. I have dreamt of light in the dark and dark in the light, of a warmth, of a likeness, of a king who holds my heart.

And I wake with tears and a pounding heart, and I think I am dying. Then Aphrodite’s bitter smile caught my eye a month ago, and I realised; I love him. That is what the pounding of my heart sings. I love him from this universe to the next, and the constellations will yearn to chart our story, and the history books will place our names side by side, and it will never be enough. Because I love him and even after death, I’ll find him. And the intensity with which I love almost frightens me, but less than the thought that I might not see him again.

I have free reign now, and numerous times I have snuck into mother’s study. There have been books and scrolls concerned with the laws of the Underworld covering her desk for months. 

I am not so naive to believe she is trying to learn their customs. She wishes to find a loophole, a truth, a way to rip us apart forever.

I cannot wait for tomorrow to come.

I am sat with Artemis and Apollo in my meadow. They remind me of another set of twins I dearly miss. 

“Will you miss us?” Artemis asks, patting a fawn that wandered into the meadow and lay in her lap.

“I think so,” I say, Apollo lets out a startled laugh,

“You  _ think so _ ?”

“Well, you are free to visit the Underworld whenever you please,” I muse, “so you could visit me once we start to miss each other, “but the others can’t visit me while I'm up here.”

Artemis nods, satisfied with my answer. 

“Will you miss anything else from up here?” Apollo asks, still amused.

“These flowers,” the answer is instantaneous, “Hades doesn’t have any of these flowers, I don’t think they can grow in the underworld.”

Artemis hums, Apollo grins, “Remember what you said? About Persephone being a wolf?”

_ A wolf far from her pack _

Artemis laughs, “Yes, she has found her pack.” I smile. 

Only a few hours until I can return to them.  

Finally, the sun sets, and they leave me, grinning.

I dance around my room packing my gifts for my friends.

I watch as the leaves on trees turn gold and fall, as my mother prepares for my departure.

She slinks into my room, eyes hard and cold.  _ Have you prepared everything? Yes, mother yes. _

She leaves to her bedroom, and I check her study one last time.

                              My heart

                                             Drops

She has stacked a series of notes into a pile, a letter to Zeus, and another to Aphrodite. She wants to rip me out of the Underworld and out of love with Hades. 

But she cannot do it yet. 

We have a month to make a counter-strike. 

The next morning Mother walks with me to the entrance into the Underworld, but she cannot join me, she has been banned.    
She clasps her hands around mine, none of her anger, only sadness glimmering in her eyes.

“Won’t you stay?” She asks, “You could be happy up here with me, my flower.”

I smile sadly, pull my hands from her. 

“Mother, I know you wanted more for me, more from me;   
Gilded crowns and marble halls, p retty smiles and soft hands,   
But mama, I wanted more too,   
I found it in the arms of a King and the bite of a pomegranate.   
Mother, I know you wanted to be my entire world,   
This man not only tore open the world for me, he gave me a world - the whole Underworld.   
I am sorry you cannot accept that yet, but you must.”   
I can see her preparing for an argument, so I step away from her, and into the entrance,

“Goodbye Mother!” I call as I disappear into the Underworld.

Ψ

 

ii.  I enter my home, blinking as my eyes adjust to the darkness, I hear a squeal and a roar of delight, and then I am being swept up in a hug. 

“Thanatos!” I gasp, laughing as he spins me around, “put me down!” he laughs and drops me into the arms of Daeria, who crushes me, tears slipping down her cheeks, “You better have brought me an amazing gift,” she says, “because I've missed you terribly.”

I am passed along to Hypnos who hugs me the same as his twin, and Charon who tries to stick with a handshake but I pull him into a hug, and then Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis launch onto me cooing over me and pinching my cheeks. 

Finally, I see him

                            Hades. 

The world narrows down to 

  * The sound of a beating heart, pounding loud enough to be a greek chorus. 
  * Two grey eyes, crinkling in the corners
  * A smile, so wide it threatens to split his face



And I suddenly realise how empty my chest has been until now. He takes half a step forward, as if in a daze, and he whispers,

“Persephone”

And I am gone. My feet flying as I hurtle towards him and he catches me mid-run, spinning me through the air and back down to earth, cocooning me in his warmth.

“Persephone” he murmurs into my hair, as I weep for joy and laugh for love, “Persephone,” he says it like a prayer, like it’s the only thing holding him to life  


_ Persephone, Persephone, Persephone, Persephone, Persephone, Persephone, Persephone,  
_

He pulls back to wipe the tears from my face and leans his forehead against mine; we breathe each other in. 

 

Thanatos clears his throat. The noise is so jarring it startles everyone into laughter. Hades takes my hand tugging me further into the palace, my home.

“Wait till you see what we’ve done with the place!” Daeira says, skipping alongside us

“You’ve kept busy then?” I ask them, laughing

“We had to” Hypnos yawns, “Hades was going crazy without you.”

Hades stiffens but I laugh, relieved to know it wasn’t just me, “Me too” I admit and he bumps our shoulders together. 

Thanatos coos and I turn to whack him, but he flies out of my reach, laughing. 

We enter the sitting room, and I gasp, because it’s not the sitting room I left behind. It’s bigger, with more seats and running up the walls are the same metal flowers that are intertwined in his throne, and the garden that stood on the outside of our bedrooms now wraps around to the sitting room as well. 

“Do you like it?” Hades asks softly

“I love it,” I sigh settling down into one of the seats, the others settle down around me as we fall into easy conversation about the past six months. Hades and I say nothing explicit but he sits next to me, and I curl into him ignoring the others pointed grins. 

Hours later we are all half asleep and still sitting together in stilted conversation when I suddenly jolt forward. Hades jerks back in surprise and the other stir into somewhat defensive positions.

“I meant to tell you,” I say ushering them to sit back down, “Mother is looking for a way to remove me from the Underworld, permanently.”

“But Zeus said-” Daiera started

“Zeus lied,” Hades said, frowning, “He could very well have removed the entire curse if we hadn’t begged him not to.” 

There is a silence far less comfortable than the one moments before. 

“Let’s be practical about this,” Thanatos begins, “How sure are you that Demeter is able to do anything?”

I shrug, “In her study was a large pile of notes and two letters; one for Zeus and one for Aphrodite.”

“Zeus I understand,” Charon murmurs, “but Aphrodite?”   
Daeira sniggers. 

“In case I refuse to leave quietly perhaps,” I say looking at my hands, Thanatos raises an eyebrow but says nothing. 

I twist to face Hades, “What can we do? I don’t want to lose you now we’re back together again but if Zeus-”

“Don’t worry,” Hades says, his eyes clearing, “I think I have a plan.” I tilt my head waiting for the plan to be revealed, but he taps my nose and smiles mysteriously. 

I scrunch up my face in protest, but I trust him enough to inform me later.

We head off to our bedrooms moments later, Thanatos sending me a wink as Daiera whispers something in his ear, giggling. 

The next morning I rise late, fully intending to visit the garden, but Daiera sweeps in without so much as a knock on the door throwing a beautiful grey dress my way and motioning for me to hurry up.

I pull it on, savouring the soft fabric, it flows from a light grey to a dark, my trademark pockets on either side. Daiera grins at them

“In case you want to hide anymore fruit in there,” she says with a laugh. I hug her tightly,

“I missed you,” I say; she squeezes me back tightly

“I missed you too ‘Sephie,” she whispers. 

“And I missed you three,” Thanatos’ loud voice declares as he picks both of us up in his arms, chuckling at our protests. We move into the dining room where they begin offering me a selection of delicious foods and a bowl of pomegranates; I bounce one in my hand before throwing it at Thanatos who deftly sidesteps, leaving Hypnos open. 

“Oh Hyp’,”  I cry, hurrying over to wipe his face but he laughs good-naturedly and waves me away

“As Qu-” 

Daiera shrieks, loudly, over top of him. I turn to her in shock, but she shrugs like nothing happened and offers me another pomegranate, this time I do not miss my target. 

After eating we move to the training room. They test me on my skills, but I seem to have not forgotten anything. I watch them fight, occasionally joining in, but I am still wanting to visit the garden. Finally, we take a break

“I was thinking we could see the garden today,” I say, “I want to know what it looks like now it has been extended.”

Daeira frowns, “oh no, we can’t we’re far too busy today to warrant a visit.” Disappointing, but I shrug,

“That’s fine; I can go by myself.”    
Her reaction is...bizarre. Her face transforming from frown to grimace to absolute panic as she freezes. 

Thanatos heaves a great sigh and in a single movement sweeps Daiera up and over his shoulder. She shrieks at him, and before I can fall down from laughter, Hypnos runs over and does the same to me. They carry us off ignoring our protests, casually discussing where to go as they wander far away from the garden. 

We arrive at the gates of the Underworld, Cerberus bounds towards us barking happily. We race towards him and for a while, we play.

The garden is still calling me however, and while the others are resting against rock pillars, I sneak off to the garden.

Ψ

 

iii.  I walk along the path to the garden. I am almost there when I hear a loud booming laugh.

“Persephone!” Hades calls, pulling me to him in a one-armed hug and casually dropping a kiss on my head.

“Hades!” I gasp, laughing, trying to fight my blush

“Everyone’s been looking for you. You know?” 

“They have?” I ask, “I thought they hadn’t noticed.” Hades laughs again, offering me his arm. I take it as he explains,

“They had not, however, I asked them if I could see you, and then they panicked.”

We laugh again, and I notice that we are still headed towards the garden. Also that Hades is far more nervous than I have ever seen him.   
I comment on this, and he smiles awkwardly at me. 

“Have you eaten recently?” I blink at him, but I haven’t eaten since breakfast, so I shake my head. He pulls me further towards the garden, refusing to answer any of my questions.  
Eventually, we arrive at the open doors to the garden, a wafting scent of spices greets me. My steps become quicker as I enter the garden. 

In the middle of the garden    
                     A blanket on the grass  
                                 Plates and bowls of food  
                                        Balls of light hanging in the air

It’s so...romantic. 

My heart swells and I spin around beaming at Hades, only to notice that the garden is filled with flowers, upon closer inspection I realise 

                           They are made of jewels. 

I brush them lightly with my fingertips, they are made of every jewel imaginable, designed to look like  _ my _ flowers from my fields on the island. 

“Hades…” I trail off, he comes to stand behind me.

“Do you like them?” He asks hopefully, I turn and press a kiss against his cheek

“I love them,” I whisper. He smiles and tugs me towards the picnic. We sit and eat, discussing our days in detail. Finally, I ask about what I have been wondering about all day,

“And what mysterious business have you been doing all day?” 

He shrugs sheepishly, “I was working in the garden,” he admitted, “I got intel on what flowers you had on your island, and while they can’t grow here I do have an affinity for jewels.” 

It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. 

If I hadn’t realised I was in love with him before, I would have now, in this moment when his dark eyes find mine and the colours of the universe seem brighter, seem softer, seem more beautiful. In this moment when he smiles at me and the stars are no longer what brings me light.

“There’s more,” he says softly, motioning me to stand up with him. I rise with a silent groan, loathe to leave the food and blanket behind. He takes my hand in his, and although it’s not the first time, it’s somehow more intimate in this quiet setting. 

He leads me to a patch of narcissus, their music flows around us. I stoop to smell them, and turn to ask Hades how they can grow here-

_                                                                                                                                                                   -And he is on one knee.  _

“Persephone, I- there were so many times I should’ve told you. So many moments when the sentiment rose up in my heart but the words got stuck in the roof of my mouth. But you are my north star, the point that guides me back to myself when everyone else tries to make me into someone that only has my name. When I first saw you it was like a garden had exploded into existence and I could see beauty in the world again. You’re in my veins Persephone, like we were made of each other, maybe we’ve always just been echoes of each other. We are magnets, drawn together and ripped apart, bloody and burning the stars alive with the power that comes when our eyes connect for long. Maybe that’s why we keep getting separated because they know that if we are given time, we’d make all the great love stories seem false and hollow.-

(my eyes fill with tears, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or maybe sing to the heavens)

 

-I love you, I love you, I love you. That’s what I’m trying to say, that’s what I’m trying to scream that’s what I need our two worlds to know. We are together in death as we never were in life.”

 

(tears are flowing freely down my face, my hand clamped over my mouth to keep the air in because Hades words leave me breathless. 

He takes my other hand and presents me with a silver ring made of thin intertwining bands and tiny leaves and in the centre, a large obsidian diamond glistens.)

 

“Persephone, goddess of spring, will you-”

“Yes!” I cry, not letting him finish, and he laughs, slipping the ring onto my finger before picking me up and spinning me around. He sets me down and I hold his face in my hands, pausing, letting our breaths intertwine, my eyes close, and then I am kissing him. 

My hands move from his face to the back of his head, weaving my fingers through his hair, his arms tighten around my waist.

His lips are soft and warm and taste like cinnamon and nutmeg. 

“I love you too” I whisper softly, and he pulls away, smiling with his whole face, resting his forehead against mine.

“Say that again,” he begs, 

“I love you,” I laugh, and he  _ glows _ with joy.  

I am suddenly embarrassed, and cannot meet his gaze, still giggling. His lips brush my forehead, my eyelids, my nose. He moves in again to kiss- maybe my cheek? But I beat him to it, kissing the line of his jaw, it is slightly prickly. Tickling me slightly, and I giggle the whole way across his jaw. This is how a kiss should always feel: like finally coming home, like the way the sun warms your face, like the feeling of being surprised in a good way, like a long hug after a bad day.   
He whispers something, my name, a prayer, maybe both. And finally I meet his eyes, my mouth quirking up into a pleased smirk that has him chuckling, craning his neck down

 

“-ahem.” someone coughs from somewhere behind us. My arms drop and he pulls me into his side his other hand reaching for his sword, before relaxing, banging his head on mine. 

 

Our friends stand,  their expressions ranging from delighted to amused to uncomfortable. 

“Terribly sorry to be uh, interrupting,’ Thanatos says, looking like he is desperately trying not to laugh, “We just wanted to make sure that you had found Persephone but, well, I can see that you have…”

Hypnos snickers at this, but Daeira’s eyes flicker to my hand resting on Hades chest, and squeals. The other’s turn to her then to my hand and with an amused roll of my eyes I hold out my hand so they can see the ring. They coo over it moving closer to take it in properly and I look up at Hades and he smiles like this is the happiest day of his life - it is for me. 

 

Ψ

 

iv.  “I don’t think any of us have ever worn white down here before.” Dairea muses from my bed as Hypnos does up my dress.

“It’s a good thing it’s not all white then,” I murmur, as Thanatos tuts at my hair, not quite satisfied with his creation,

“Than,” I laugh, “I’m not that worried about my hair!”

“You should be,” he grunts, “It’s going to hold a crown in it.” My face flushes, I’m going to be a  _ queen _ .  

I had mentioned my nervousness at the thought a few days after Hades's proposal - I’d only realised it then- and Hades had brushed my cheek and told me I’ve always been a queen, which, while very sweet, was not entirely helpful. 

“The good thing about being a queen down here,” Daeira says, absentmindedly fitting my shoes, “is that you don’t really need to rule anyone because they’re all mostly dead. And everyone else is family so there are no rules.”

I wonder if she can read my mind. But her words do set me at ease and she winks at me when I send her a grateful smile. 

 

The wedding, only 2 weeks after the proposal, is going to be a small affair. Hades’ family and friends extend only to the residents of our court, and mine is the same with only Artemis and Apollo from above. 

They arrived a few moments ago and have been in the throne room talking with the Moirae. Charon is with Hades helping him getting ready, and then they will wait there too. The others have been fussing over me all morning, doing my hair, dressing me, and talking me through the ceremony. 

After the wedding, we have an official coronation, so that no-one can dispute my royalty. Hades grand plan.

  _She cannot keep you away if you are Queen_

_ She cannot keep me away if we are married. _

I had asked him in jest, if that was the only reason he had proposed, but his smile grew wicked and he showed me that it was not the only reason at all. 

 

A few elysian-bound souls that used to be musicians have been brought into play a sweet slow melody as I walk up to meet him.

Hades.  Hero. Husband. 

Apollo and Artemis both offered to lead the ceremony and I could not choose either so they both stand in front of us, waxing lyrical over our joint hands. 

 

Hades promises himself to me, and I to him. But we already knew these things, these words. 

 

_ Marrying you is not the end of my liberty; it’s the beginning of it.  _

_ I promise that I will love you until the very end, and then much longer after that too. _

_ I love you I love you I love you.  _

 

_ We now pronounce you Husband and Wife.   _

There is a kiss, and it is the beginning of everything.

 

Then swarms of souls enter the room, and Hades takes centre stage. Thanatos comes forward a crown in his hands: delicately made with individual, long shard of black jewel reaching highest in the centre and slowly decreasing in height either side as they wrap around to the back. I bow my head and Hades nestles it into the updo Thanatos slaved over, he winks at me as if he knows what I am thinking of. I straighten, and turn, facing my friends. 

Hades’ voice, reverberates loudly throughout the gardens, 

  
“I crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness, the crown of an everlasting kingdom. Persephone, Goddess of the Earth, do you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the Underworld with - to your power - Law and Justice, in Mercy, in all your judgments and rulings?”

“I, Persephone, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of this kingdom profess, testify, and declare that I will rule justly, and that I will uphold and maintain the laws and culture of this realm to the best of my powers. I stand here ready to take my place as your queen."

 

Hades takes my hand in his, I rise, beaming at him as he beams at me, we tear our gazes from each other to address the-  _ our _ \- people. 

  
“I, Hades, God and King of the Underworld, here present unto you Persephone, your undoubted Queen.”

And to my astonishment and delight, the entire congregation- including all the souls- bend on one knee, left arms folded over their chests. 

Thanatos is the first to rise,

“All Hail King Hades, All Hail Queen Persephone!” He shouts and the underworld rings with their echoed replies. 

 

In mortal ceremonies, there are a lot of people and they eat a lot of food and drink a lot of wine and dance.

In a wedding of two gods - one banished to the underworld and one hiding there - the ceremony has 9 guests, not including the bride and groom or any souls that floated over to join in the music. We eat from a platter of fruits and we sip at a rich red wine, and we dance- perhaps even more than the mortals do. 

Artemis and Apollo leave as night ticks over into day, Apollo must bring the sunrise after all, and they do not want the other gods becoming suspicious of their whereabouts. 

 

When we cannot dance anymore we send the souls on, they smile and curtsy and bow. 

Hades arm snakes around my waist, the rest of our family take this as their cue to leave and I bid them goodnight with a breathless laugh, and turn to kiss him.

Somewhere in between our kisses we end up curled underneath a cypress tree, a flicker crosses Hades face and his eyes grow serious

“Are you...happy, Persephone?”

I laugh, “I have never been more so, my love.” 

When Hades smiles, truly smiles, he does with his whole body, his face softens and his eyes crinkle, his shoulders relax, his chest swells, and his lips part in delight. 

“You make me happy,” I whisper, bringing our faces so close that our noses touch. He captures me in another kiss and it is a long long while before we leave the gardens. 

 

Ψ

v.  The days following my coronation consisted of carrying out my promises to rule justly.  However, it seems that Hades’ version of justice contains far more mercy than mine. 

_ Years of dealing with the dead,  _ he murmurs one night after a particularly gruelling few hours of dealing with punishment bound souls,  _ has made me softer perhaps, because I have seen so much wickedness these people do not seem so bad.  _

  _My entire life,_ I reply, _I have been far too forgiving and lenient. Those monsters will get what’s coming for them._

My husband smiles and tells me that he loves me for it. 

 

It is just over a week before we manage to arrange a family dinner. Lachesis brings up a matter of a great drought in Aoia, and though she does not say it there is a lingering suspicion of my mother. I sigh and for some reason, Daeira laughs delightedly.

“You rolled your eyes in sync with each other,” she squeals. If I didn’t know that she bore no desire for her own romantic love I would’ve presumed her ready to fall in love herself with all the cooing she does over Hades and I. 

Lachesis captures our attention again, mentioning that a respected elder in Aoia went to one of Apollo’s oracles and, according to Clotho this time, they have been told to sacrifice two maidens. They cringe almost guiltily at this.

There is a pause, as I process their statement.

Then

“WHAT?”

Atropos rushes to reassure me that no families have allowed their daughters sacrifice, and no-one has volunteered either. But they will have to. 

I splutter indignantly at this demand, Hades gives me a look that says  _ this isn’t out of the usual, you know this.  _

I return his look with my own;  _ yes, but this is the first time that I’m the person that has to deal with the fallout.  _

He grimaces, and I make a mental note to discuss our options on this matter later. Hypnos tries to make light conversation by telling us of two men named Theseus and Pirithous and how they have captured a young woman named Helen-

This further incenses me, until Hypnos continues that an outraged Helen had not made it worth their while and they took her back and that they now travel on to find Pirithous a wife instead. 

I shake my head at the folly of men and wish fortune upon the next woman they try to woo. 

 

I am shaken awake very early the next morning, Hades side of our bed is empty- but warm still. Daeira, now satisfied that I am awake, flings clothes at me at an alarming speed as Hades explains in a low voice that the sacrifice for Aoia is about to be made, he wants us to be there and something to do with Orion,

“And your damned  _ hair, _ ” he growls abruptly and I try to keep from laughing. While I have been busying myself with staying awake and dressing into a black dress in the dark, Hades has been trying to tame my hair, without me even realising it. I spin, pushing back my amusement and click my fingers. Flowers from our garden fly in swooping in and out of my hair into a simple updo, I kiss his startled expression and place his crown on his head, before doing the same with mine. 

Daeira coughs impatiently and with an impish grin I grab his hand and pull him down the corridors.

 

We collapse into our thrones and Thanatos, standing behind us, starts explaining the situation. After hours of arguments two nymphs came forward as volunteers,  _ daughters of Orion, the hunter,  _ he says with a meaningful glance at me. 

Artemis’ friend.

...Well, they’re not really friends anymore per se, but still. 

Thanatos stiffens suddenly grimaces, and then, with a nod to us, disappears in a flash of light. Gone to collect their souls. 

The Moirae, Hades informs me, are in their grotto having fun deciding when to snip the threads of life. 

 

_ There are days where I do not like the fates, they take too much delight in death, they do not know mercy or compassion, and- _

  _Hades, breathe, just because they have no compassion does not mean we are the same._

 

There is a sound, that, if not in the underworld, I would call a clap of thunder. But I am in the underworld, so I call it Thanatos returning.   
He alights in front of us, in each hand, he holds a soul, and around the souls are a shimmering form of their owners.   
Maybe it has something to do with being the Queen, but I see them and I know their names.

 

Menippe and Metioche

Their skulls are caved in on one side as though-

Oh. 

Hades glances at me, no defers to me, I am in charge of their fate. 

I stand, walking down the steps until I reach them, they curtsy.

 

“You would give up your lives for your town?” I ask softly, 

_ “We love our town, Your Majesty, we love the people in it.”  _ Their voices are hoarse whispers, a shadow of themselves. 

“You will miss them?” 

_ “They did not love us as we loved them, but we will miss seeing our town’s night sky, seeing our father.” _

I understand completely. And so the decision is not hard to make. 

“Because you sacrificed yourselves for the good of the town you love, I will allow you to return there.” I grasp their souls firmly in each hand, some part of me marvelling at this, and thrust them up, they soar skywards- right through our ceiling- and as they do so they turn orange, yellow, red with tails of fire trailing in their wake.

Thanatos blinks at me, a surprised laugh escapes from me,   
“That was awesome!” He says

“-inspiring!” Daeira adds, from wherever in the shadows she’s hiding

“I don’t even know how I did it,” I admit softly, turning to Hades hoping for an explanation. But he smiles and shrugs,

“Don’t look at me, my love, that was all you,” there is a curious glint to his eye, he moves to speak again-

 

“LADY PERSEPHONE.” 

 

The voice reverberates throughout the room as I spin, my arms reaching out- for what I do not know- and I come face to face with a mortal man dressed in robes that mark him as nobility. 

My eyes narrow, I begin to ask his name when he interrupts me,

 

“I AM PIRITHOUS, KING OF THE LAPITHS OF LARISSA IN THESSALY.” He has not moved his eyes from my face and I am beginning to feel mildly uncomfortable and extremely unimpressed; if this man is who I think he is...

Hades clears his throat, “Well Pirithous I am sure that your mortal life is possibly dear to someone so I really must insist-”

 

“SILENCE, I AM HERE ON A MISSION,” I turn to look at Hades, his mouth is parted in confusion, his eyes blinking, and he lowers himself back into his throne silently. 

“A MISSION OF THE HEART,” Pirithous continues, as though ordering Gods about is part of his usual morning routine. “I AM HERE TO TAKE THE LADY PERSEPHONE AS MY BRIDE.”

 

Silence.

 

There is a sound rather like choked laughter from somewhere, I frown at Pirithous.

 

“I’m afraid I am already married,” I explain slowly. Instead of slinking away as I had hoped he puffs out his chest

“‘TIS A SHAME INDEED, BUT FAIR NOT, FOR I WILL SIMPLY STEAL YOU AWAY WHERE HE CANNOT FIND US.” He smiles as though I should be thanking him. Indignance surges through my veins.

 

“And if I don’t wish to be stolen?” 

“COME NOW, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS IF-

“Charon let you through?” Hades speaks for the first time, not as angrily as I’d hoped, but clearly not pleased either. Pirithous sneers at him   
“YOUR BOATMAN? YES, HE FERRIED US ACROSS. HE WANTED US TO MEET.” he gestures between himself and me. I look beseechingly at Hades who shrugs slightly, a small smirk on his face

_ You said you wanted to fight your own battles _ , his eyes glinting.

_ This is NOT what I meant,  _ my eyes narrowing.

 

For some unfathomable reason, Pirithous takes this silent conversation as the acceptance of his plans, “COME, WOMAN, LET US AWAY,” He saunters forward

And the earth rises up to his neck

In a shape like a mountain  
Holding him captive

His eyes widen,    
Not in fear though, in outrage   
Glaring at my upraised hands. 

  
“WOMAN, YOU SHOULD NOT TREAT A KING AS SUCH-”

“Oh,” I growl, “I’ll give you the royal treatment.” Fists clenched I march forward until I am right in his face, pure power rolls off of me and for the first time being in the underworld fear flickers in his eyes. 

“I am the Queen, and you will respect me- you will respect every woman; goddess or queen or ordinary mortal. You came to my realm, and as such you will stay- I cannot bear the thought of you being allowed to terrorise more women- you will live here, and you will die here, and your eternal punishment will be for your subjects to walk over you as I have no doubt you walked over them.”

“M-my Lady-”

“Good-bye Pirithous,” I say sweetly, then with a push of my hand he and his mound of dirt are swallowed by the earth.

 

There is another, less uncomfortable, silence, and then I drop onto the steps, stretching my arms above my head languidly. Hades walks over to me and pulls me up into an embrace.

“That,” and I can hear his grin, “was beautifully done.”

I allow myself a moment of quiet pride before pulling back to glare at my husband. “You,” I poke his chest, “were quite content to watch everything play out I noticed.”

He smiles sheepishly, “I thought you had everything under control?”

“I did,” I agree, “but some help would have been nice.”

“I don’t know how I could have helped you, Persephone,”

“At the very least you could have said you’d like to keep me!” I snap, enunciating the last words with another jab. 

“If I got upset he would’ve gotten volatile and-”

“Oh yes because our entire court- ourselves included- cannot compare to the wrath of a mortal.”

“Persephone-”

“No, don’t bother. We’re both tired and I’m in the mood for being grumpy so just…” I kiss him lightly on the cheek and walk off, back to our bedroom. 

 

Ten minutes later, I am almost asleep when a loud knock jolts me awake. Hades stands in the doorframe with a small bunch of flowers. Real flowers. 

He grimaces as they droop slightly, “I asked Thanatos to grab the first flowers he saw, I did not expect him to take those orders quite so literally.”

I laugh softly and take them from him, I pull the jewel flowers from my hair and replace them with the real flowers. His eyes crinkle. He takes my hand in his.

“The reason I didn’t interfere with Pirithous is that I didn’t want to deny your freedom if you wanted to go- and even if you didn’t, well you should be allowed to make your own decisions. I, of course, never want you to leave but I would never stop you.”

Oh.

_ Oh. _

“Oh Hades,” I whisper.

“Yes, that’s me, hello.” He wiggles his finger in m face, but the light-hearted tone is counterbalanced by the worry creasing in his forehead. My free hand reaches up to smooth it out, then curves around his cheek. 

“You are so ridiculous, of course I want to stay.” his posture relaxes. “I love you, remember?”

He kisses me sweetly, “maybe you could remind me a bit more,” he trails off and I laugh and kiss him deeply, turning him around. I break off, 

“I would love to, unfortunately, some King decided I should read over these reformations he’d written up.”

He laughs as well, lacing his fingers through mine, “Is that so? I’ll have you know some Queen was upset with me so I had planned on reading some reports this morning. Perhaps you would like to join me in the sitting room.”

“Lead the way.”

 

Ψ

 

vi.  Hades sighs for what could possibly be the hundredth time. There is a loud rustling of papyrus scrolls and then suddenly his head is in my lap. My hand runs through his hair absentmindedly as I continue reading his propositions. 

“You want to form a council of judges?” He hums softly in agreement, I smile down at him fondly, “Can’t we handle a little judgement?”

“There’s just too much death,” he grumbles “everyone seems tatarus bent on dying these days! And besides,” He opens one eye solely for the purpose of winking at me, “I want to spend more time with my beautiful and brilliant wife.”

I huff a laugh, “And the six months I'm gone? What exactly do you plan on doing with your time then?”

“I don’t want to think about those six months,” he pouts. I ruffle his hair affectionately and go back to my reading.     
Hades jerks up suddenly, knocking the scroll out of my hand, I turn to tell him off when I catch his expression; he is glaring at...nothing…

“Hades?” I ask softly, he flinches and then Daeira appears in the hallway.

“I hate to intrude but you have guests.” She shuffles from foot to foot.

“Who?” I ask, dread settling in my stomach

Daeira and Hades answer as one,

“Zeus.”

 

 

“Get out of our palace,” Hades growls the moment we hear heavy footsteps outside the sitting room.

“My my, such coldness,” A voice that is decidedly not Zeus’ replies. My brain stutters, I exchange a panicked look with Daeira as three people enter the room.

“Mother?”

She smiles with the same self-assured glint in her eyes that Pirithous had. I plan to snuff it out just as quickly.

“Hello darling, I’ve brought some friends,” behind her Zeus and Aphrodite enter, both looking a little annoyed to being in the back. 

Hades moves imperceptibly closer to me, “my statement still stands, you,” he points to my mother, “are banned from the underworld. You,” his finger moves to Zeus, “have never been welcome here,” Zeus looks appropriately offended at this statement, “and you.” he finally whirls on Aphrodite, “I don’t know what you’re here for but I think we’d all prefer it if you weren’t.”

I bite back a grin.

  
“Hades,” Aphrodite chides, “we’re just here to...chat.” Daeira snorts, then quickly excuses herself from the room. But I have to agree, no-one comes to the underworld uninvited and unannounced to ‘chat.’

There is a heavy silence. 

It’s been too silent today. 

They always assume it’s silent in the Underworld, that because we are surrounded by death, we too are dead.

But they are wrong; there are the joyful cries and sweet music of those who lived good lives, the pained screams of those who did not. There is the rustling of pages, the crackling of fire, the murmured conversations, the shouting laughter, hems swishing against stone floors. There is no silence here. There is life here. 

But these three have come and it has gone silent.

 

Mother opens her mouth, her eyebrows slanted in soft pleading but her eyes cold and hard. 

“Daughter.”

( _ Do you not know my name, mother?) _

“This tantrum has gone on long enough, we both know you are unhappy here.”

_ (Do we? I wasn’t aware you knew anything about me.) _

“I have given you what you wanted.”

_ (And what is that, pray tell?) _

“You have been allowed to leave the island.”

_ (Ah, of course.) _

“But I will not stand for your lies, you do not have to stay here, Zeus can fully remove the curse, and Aphrodite is here to remove the enchantment these people have put on you.”

_ (These people? These people are more my family than you have ever been.) _

“You are coming home, you are stopping this nonsense and-

 

“No.”

 

Mother freezes, 

_ silent too silent too- _

“I beg your pardon?” 

“I said no, mother,” I repeat. She glares, not at me though, at Hades.

_ Stop looking at him like that, it’s too silent, leave us alone.  _ Hades shifts uncomfortably next to me.

“Oh,  _ enough,” _ I growl, everyone’s attention jumps to me. “I am not leaving, I am staying right here- I don’t care how long you’ve spent preparing your flowery words laced with guilt. I am tired- both figuratively and literally- so if we all say our farewells now that would be wonderful.”

 

Hades tries his best to tuck away his amused grin, I shrug unapologetically at him. Zeus makes a sound that could be interpreted as a laugh or a cough. Mother, however, is quivering with rage.

 

“My Queen is right, we did not get much sleep last night, so perhaps we should arrange-

 

  1. “Queen?” My mother sputters.
  2. “Ah, of course, that’s where those two were,” Zeus murmurs.
  3. “Demeter you said she didn’t love him back,” Aphrodite hisses.



 

I draw myself up higher, feel magic course through my veins, “Mother, stop. Zeus, Aphrodite, take your leave. This is between my mother and I.”

They look at each other, then at me, and then they are gone.

 

“Kor- Persephone, darling, try to calm down,” Mother coos, coming closer to us. I grip Hades hand; unsure of when he got so close but grateful nonetheless. “Come now, my flower,” she continues, “smile, breathe.”

 

I consider stopping my breath, I consider screaming and slapping and storming off, I consider reducing her to a pile of ash.   
Instead, I ask:

“What do you want, mother?”

“I want my sweet daughter back,” she says, no hesitation in her voice. I sigh.

_ Don’t you know she never existed?  _

“Is that really what you want? For a daughter made wholly of light, of pretty half-truths, and soft hands? Because I am not she, mother. I never have been. I will never be as in love with your perfectly tended earth as I am with shadow-stained hallways and twisting vines in the half-light.”

Mother stares, and I cannot tell if she is shocked or enraged or confused- so perhaps all three.

And I realise suddenly, that I am tired of her not understanding, tired of having to avoid and argue. 

“Do you remember when you were teaching me to grow plants to life? And all I could create were thorns and weeds, so we decided that I was only allowed to sing to already formed plants?”

She nods her head slowly, so I continue, “You wanted to teach me to grow, and all I could coax from the ground was things suited for destroying gardens.” Her eyes flicker. “Was that when you realised I was better at unmaking than creating? Was that when you realised your daughter was not a bright star, but the endless void that swallows them?” Tears drip down her cheeks. “I know you wanted me to be sweet, you forced that white-rosed innocence on me, but my lips are stained with red seeds now, can’t you accept that?”

Her head shakes slowly, mournfully. “I just wanted to protect you from yourself, please come home. Leave this darkness, come back into the light, I miss you.” She reaches for me, but I step away, step into Hades, his fingers brush my waist, anchor me.

“Leave the darkness? Mama, look around you I am one with the darkness  _ and  _ the light- it is all over me. Shadows flock to me and I rule them. But the dead crawl to me begging for one last taste of life, and I remind them what it is like to breathe the sunshine and lily-blossom air. I chose this, I chose Hades, I chose  _ me. _ Why won’t you embrace that?”

“You are my daughter,” she clings to her belief, “you were born for meadows and sunlight and-”

“I was  _ not _ born to be your golden sunlight.” I snap, “I was born to be a Queen, and I- I will always carry a handful of your earth in my heart.

_ Don’t cry, don’t cry _

It will help make me a good ruler, I think.” I brush a wisp of her hair behind her ear. “I will always be a daughter of spring, as well as a Queen of Death. I bring balance to the Underworld. I belong here.”

She shakes her head, “please,” her voice is a whisper, “just come home.”

“Hades  _ is _ my home.” I kiss her head, then dart back before she can touch me, “let me go, mother, or accept me as I am.” Her hands grasp out feebly for me, but I know how to be a shadow and she cannot reach me. 

She heaves a shuddering breath and leaves the room. My heart twinges slightly at her refusal to accept me, but perhaps-

“Persephone.” She stands, frozen in the doorway, her back to me, “I- I am sorry. For everything. I will see you next spring.” 

Then she is gone. 

 

And so is the silence. The comforting noises of my home rush back in like a conquering army, and in a graceless movement I drop onto the floor, Hades follows a breath later. We sit, entangled with each other, amongst fallen scrolls, leaning against the kline. 

“That, was surprisingly calm,” Hades says, I breathe a laugh. His eyes flicker down to my lips, and I capture his mouth in a kiss that has us falling over, laughing and breathless. He says my name. Just once. Like a prayer, and I sing his name over and over. And I know this is not the end of everything, it is never the end. But I know that whatever happens, we will always be together, because we are the centre of the story, from the beginning up till now and we’re only just past the first chapter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end folks! Well at least the end of this story mwahahah  
> Thank you to everyone who read this, double thank you to everyone who left kudos, and triple thank you to Just_looking_for_fanfictions, AnonymousLurkingReader, and Christelle for commenting xoxoxo

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I've recently become re-obsessed with Greek mythology; specifically Hades and Persephone and I decided I wanted to write my own spin on the myth. (Also not beta-ed just me re-reading it several times and then just submitting hoping that it's okay hahah)  
> Let me know what you think!


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